


Surroga-What?

by aye_baybay, no_its_becky



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F, Kids, Sloooooow Burn, baby mama like the movie, painfully slow burn, suffer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-11-19 11:50:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11312808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aye_baybay/pseuds/aye_baybay, https://archiveofourown.org/users/no_its_becky/pseuds/no_its_becky
Summary: Erin always put her work before her personal life. She didn't date much; she didn't feel the need to. She was a successful professor and that's all she wanted. Well, it's all she thought she wanted. As she got a little older, she felt as if there was something she was missing in her life, the feeling creeping up on her in the most unexpected moments. It felt a little ridiculous, seeing as she wasn't married, had little to no romantic life, and spent most of her time alone, and yet...That's when she made her decision: She was going to have a baby.ORThe Holtzbert Baby Mama AU that no one asked for.





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> alright so my gf and i are co-authoring this. she writes erin, i write holtz because yolo  
> as a sidenote, holtz is written as being around 27 years old and erin is 35  
> there WILL be some parts here and there from the movie because theyre fitting but otherwise this is gonna be EXTRA gay  
> uhhhh this is kind of stupid but we're having fun with it and we've got a good plan for it. so, um, enjoy our trash

Erin always put her work before her personal life. She didn't date much; she didn't feel the need to. She was a successful professor and that's all she wanted. Well, it's all she thought she wanted. As she got a little older, she felt as if there was something she was missing in her life, the feeling creeping up on her in the most unexpected moments. It felt a little ridiculous, seeing as she wasn't married, had little to no romantic life, and spent most of her time alone, and yet... 

That's when she made her decision: She was going to have a baby. Though, after a visit with her doctor, she discovered that her T-shaped uterus made it almost impossible for her to get pregnant. Adoption was her next option, however, it took years to even get considered, let alone get approved. She was going to give up hope before she had one last idea: a surrogate. 

She decided on the Chaffee Bicknell Association, the local surrogacy agency. She had read up on it and decided it would be the best option. After making an appointment with Chaffee Bicknell herself, Erin quickly settled on who she would like as her surrogate. However, she knew the choice wasn’t hers. She would have to meet with the woman and try to win her over. She was a little scared that this would fall through as well, but another part of her was hoping it would all work out. A date was set and Erin had everything planned for when the woman would arrive. Once her apartment was straightened up, she went outside to wait for her, hopefully, surrogate-to-be.

* * *

After getting out of grad school, money was a little tight on Holtzmann's end. Most of the time she was lucky if she so much as had a ketchup packet in her fridge. Turns out, finding a job on her own was proving harder than she had originally thought, and she would never be stuck flipping burgers for a living. She’d move back in with Dr. Gorin before she let that happen.. She just needed a little something to get her on her feet, right?

 It was her insane ex-girlfriend that had put the idea in her head. Maybe the only good thing that ever came out of her mouth. At first, she was a little hesitant, seeing as this was something she had never planned on taking on, but the money was good. Just to pay the bills and get some good in her fridge. That was it. Nine months and then it would be over. Surrogacy wasn't ready for the whirlwind that was Dr. Jillian Holtzmann. 

* * *

 Coming to a stop in front of the (hopefully) correct building, Holtz looked up, hands dug deep in her pockets as her eyebrows raised at the other woman, a smirk coming to her lips. "Wow. You should come with a warning label."

Erin scrunched her nose up when the woman stopped in front of her, arching a brow at her odd appearance. Well. This was it. She was meeting the woman who could possibly carry her baby for the next nine months. "Um, hello.. You must be Jillian, right? I'm Erin. Erin Gilbert," she said with a smile, sticking her hand out. She felt a little awkward at this point. She never thought she would have to get a surrogate to have her baby and she wasn't exactly sure how to react to the woman. "Oh? Well, alright.. We can head upstairs to discuss everything if you'd like?"

Grabbing her hand to shake it with a big smile, she finally introduced herself, "Holtzmann. Virgo, NASCAR winner, totally jazzed to possibly carry your fetus." Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she pursed her lips, looking up at the building again. "Cool, cool. Yeah, let’s go,” she said, already moving past the redhead to open the building’s door, holding it open for her.

Erin smiled in thanks, turning to begin walking up the steps leading to her apartment.  "Uh, NASCAR winner? I didn't.. I’ve never heard of you before. I mean, I don't watch many sports, but that's probably something I would've heard of, maybe." She bit her lip and shrugged, thinking maybe that wasn’t the best way to make small talk.

Holtz flashed a small smile at the mention of her supposed NASCAR win. "Well, it's not legitimized. But technically, I won. They get pissed when you race without actually signing up." 

"Oh, wow. I never thought that was possible. That is-- That’s quite interesting that you were able to do that. Uh, congratulations on your win then," she said with a nod, stopping at her apartment door. This woman was definitely different, but not in a bad way. What she read on the paperwork she received, she was a smart person, which was always a plus. God, she wanted this to work out. "So, uh, tell me about yourself?"

At the question, Holtz simply shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, the information I received about you wasn't very detailed. I'm just curious and want to learn a little about you. If you're going to carry my baby, I want to know a little more than just a name."

"Uhh.. Well, fresh out of MIT, got a doctorate in nuclear engineering. I have two kids. Um.. This is the first time I've done this. So.. It's whatever."

A doctorate? Definitely smart. That was a very good thing. "Wow, that's- that's amazing. This is the first time I've done this too," she said with an awkward laugh, "You have two kids, though? That's great. So you know the whole pregnancy process. That's definitely good. It'll be helpful throughout this."

At that, she made a face, making a noise in the back of her throat. "Four-legged kids. I've never seen a penis in my life."

Once at her floor, Erin unlocked her door to let Holtz inside, shutting it behind them. She looked over at the noise before both brows arched and she blushed a little. "Oh! Well, I apologize for the assumption. I guess this would be a new process for both of us. However, it is your decision on who you want to work with."

Holtz stepped inside, whistling. "Wow.. This place is fancy. Didn't even know they made apartments this big." Picking up a random vase to study it, she made another noise, this time unconcerned. "'S okay. I've met with a few, but you're one of the better ones. Hotter, too."

She watched the blonde looking at the vase but made no comment about it. Her cheeks warmed up again at that, not exactly sure how to react to being called one of the "better and hotter" ones. It was a compliment, right? Maybe? "Uh, thanks.. I'm glad I'm a little better. I just- I really do want this."

Setting the vase back down, the engineer wandered further into the apartment, eyes wide as she examined everything, nodding as she listened, though her attention wasn't on Erin. "Never understood the big deal about babies. They eat, poop, and sleep. Hell, I'll do the same thing for free _and_  blow stuff up."

"Well, babies are a new life in the world. They're part of a family. I didn't think I really wanted any because I was focusing on my career. But now I do." She went to the kitchen as she spoke, getting a glass of water for each of them. "And I know it's your decision to pick, but I would really like for you to have my baby."

Holtz crinkled her nose as she listened, following her into the kitchen. Taking the glass of water from her, she took a sip before immediately spitting it into the sink. "Oh god, what the hell is that--?"

Erin made a face when Holtz spit the water out, taking a step back. Was she being serious right now? God, did she really want this woman to have her baby now? "It's water. What else would it be? Do you not normally drink water?" she asked, setting her own cup down on a coaster.

The blonde shook her head, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. Glancing up, she knew she had made a bad choice, judging by the look on the other woman’s face. Damn it. "Not really.. More of a Big Gulp person, myself. Well, when I can afford one, you know?"

"I never had an interest in them. But you could get into the habit of drinking water and eating healthier over the next nine months, right?" She didn't want to totally change who Holtz was, but she also wanted her baby to be healthy, and Big Gulps weren't exactly the healthiest choice.

"Well, it's your baby, so.. Your wish is my command," she said, spreading her arms into a shrug. "If I do have _your_  baby."

Erin's heart fluttered a little at that before it fell again. That word: If. She let out a breath, beginning to fidget with her fingers again. "So, do you know when you will be making a decision? Just so, you know, myself and the other women know."

If Holtzmann was being honest with herself, Erin was looking like she was going to be her best choice. It seemed like the others hadn't liked her that much. Plus, Erin was nice to look at. "Uhm.. Dunno. You seem like the best bet at this point.”

The redhead returned the smile, trying to stay calm when she realized she could be the one. This could actually happen. “I'm sure we will get to know each other through this process. It'll all work out."

Holtz leaned up against the counter casually, crossing her arms over her chest. This could happen. She could be the one for this. She _was_  going to be the one for this. "Well, ah.. Consider me your baby mama then," she said, extending her hand towards her.

A grin broke out across Erin’s face as she grabbed her hand and shook it with almost too much vigor. "Oh my god! This is amazing. Thank you so much. I can get everything sorted it and we can start this in a few days." She couldn't believe this was actually happening. She was going to be a mother! 

Holtz nodded, shaking her hand back, "Well, you have my number. Just text me or something. We'll make a date out of it. A baby date, if you will." It was nice to see Erin look like this; grinning like that. Hopefully, she would get to see more of it.


	2. Conception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Holtz gets inseminated, learns some horrible facts about pregnancy, and makes Erin meet her kids.  
> Erin starts to wonder if she got more than she bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kind of a filler chapter but obviously important. i swear the story will pick up from here lmao.

After exchanging several texts back and forth, and successfully managing to follow Erin's instructions, Holtz had arrived for the so-called "baby date". 

Now she sat with her feet in stirrups, looking up at Erin through half-lidded eyes. "Gee, at least take me out for dinner first.." she mumbled, head lolling to the side as she let out a laugh.

Erin stood off to the side, watching what was going on between the doctor and Holtzmann. She gave the engineer’s shoulder a gentle pat as she moved to the head of the chair, giving the doctor room to work. The way it was explained told them it would be a short, simple procedure, but she still didn’t want to cause problems by being too close.

"This will just take a few moments and then you can be on your way. It’s just going to be a quick insertion and we will be done. In about two weeks, you can take a home pregnancy test and you'll know if it worked," the doctor told them, giving them both a smile before getting to work. 

Erin was curious as to what the doctor was actually doing but didn’t move from her spot. The last thing she wanted was to move and have the blonde discover that she was looking down between her legs to watch it all happen. That would probably end with an awkward discussion and Erin not being able to look her surrogate in the face. 

"Man, this stuff is great.." Holtz slurred, pulling gently at her IV line, "Do you know what the street name for this stuff is?" she asked before her eyes fluttered shut, unconscious for the time being. Well, that was that.

* * *

 Once she came back around, the procedure was done, but Erin still remained. Blinking blearily, she reached up to rub her eyes, looking at the redhead with a dreamy smile, "Damn, did I die and go to Heaven? 'Cause you look like an angel."

The physicist’s cheeks turned a light hue of pink at the comment, "Oh. Uh, thanks," she said with a nervous laugh. "Everything is done so you can get dressed and we can go."

Rubbing her eyes again, Holtz moved to sit up, groping blindly for her clothes. So, this was it. Huh.. Giving her a lopsided smile and a thumbs up, she pulled her clothes into her lap before reaching back to untie her gown, letting it slip to the floor, not seeming to care that she was so exposed. "So I take a test when I get home, right? 

Erin quickly averted her gaze when the blonde began to get dressed right in front of her, spinning around to face the wall, giving her head a shake. “No, not today. The doctor told us to wait at least two weeks before you can take one. That will give us the most accurate results. Once you’re done getting dressed, I can take you back home and you can rest for the day. The doctor said you’re going to need a lot of that during these next nine months.”

She slipped her shirt over her head before wiggling back into her boxers and pants. Rolling out of the chair, she stretched, almost cat-like in her movements. “How much rest? 'Cause sometimes I don't sleep for days on end and, uh.."

Both brows shot towards her hairline as she shook her head again. That was not going to work. She would make Holtzmann go to sleep every night if need be. "Uh-uh. No, that's not good. You need sleep every night during this. You're going to have a life growing inside you. If you don't get enough rest, you could lose the baby."

"Lose as in... Can't find...?" Holtz asked, head tilting slightly. Maybe she should have looked into what pregnancy actually entailed before jumping in head first, or at least have read the WebMD page. God, she was in over her head.

She was at a loss for words for the moment. Was Holtz being serious? Her arms crossed over her chest as she just kind of stared at Holtz. "Lose as in it's gone. A miscarriage. Have you read  _ anything _ about pregnancy and childbirth?" 

The blonde bit her lip as she looked at Erin, "... No.." she admit quietly, playing with the hem of her shirt. "I'm an engineer. Figured making a baby was the same as like, making one of my inventions, you know?"

"Making a child and making an invention are nothing alike. Why didn't you read anything about this? We need to get you some books so you can know what the hell is going on." Letting out a small sigh, she moved to grab her purse from a nearby chair, “Come on."

Holtz only offered a sheepish smile and a shrug towards the woman. Not like she could stay mad at her; she was probably going to be carrying her kid. Slipping off the bed, she bounced to her feet, smoothing down her shirt. "Hey, I needed a job. It's too late now."

"But you would read about any other job you got, right? To know what you're getting into?" she asked as she walked back toward her car, getting her keys from her purse. "You should have looked into this more when you decided to do this. I'm happy you did because now you're hopefully going to have my baby, but you should still read about life changing things you decide to do  _ before _ you do them."

Settling in on the passenger’s side, the engineer slumped low in the seat. "I'm more of a 'figure-it-out-as-you-go' type of person. It'll be fine. I got you with me, right?"

"Yeah, you do. Do you want to grab some lunch?”

At the mention of food, the other woman’s stomach rumbled, causing her to wince slightly. She was practically starving these days. Food would be great. Play it cool, Holtz. "You treatin' your baby mama to a date?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at her.

"Not a date," she said, a blush on her cheeks again. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Why was she blushing so much? "Just lunch. Two people going to lunch together." She nodded before starting the car, backing it out. "Do you like anything specific? I’ll eat anywhere and almost everything." 

"Sure, sure. Not a date. Got it." She grinned, leaning back in her seat to kick her feet up onto the dashboard. "Uh, considering my last meal was some kind of Chinese food gone bad, I'll eat just about anything," she said, running a hand back through the wild curls perched high on her head.

Erin scrunched her nose up at the feet on her dashboard but made no comment about it. She figured she’d just take her to the nice cafe she went to regularly. "I know the perfect place then."

Within a few minutes, they had arrived, Holtz eyeing the cafe warily. Of course. She should've known it'd be some fancy place. "Do we have to?"

"Is there something wrong with this place? I promise it’s not that bad. I mean, we can go definitely somewhere else or I can take you home if you want." She worried her lip, hoping she hasn't done anything wrong. A cafe seemed like the best place to pick. It was never too crowded and had decent, inexpensive meals. 

"It's so fancy and I  _ so _ do not have this kind of money. Well, maybe. We'll see what's in my pockets," she said, letting out a small sigh as she glanced at the cafe again. Any place that Erin ate at, she almost definitely couldn’t afford.

"Holtzmann, it's not that fancy or expensive, I promise. And lunch is on me today. You're going to be carrying my baby, let me buy you lunch." That seemed like a fair trade, at least for the moment. A hundred lunches probably weren’t going to cut it in the end. The engineer was bringing a life into the world for Erin and all she was doing was buying her lunch.  

"I feel like you're seriously underestimating me. I'm  _ super  _ broke. Mega broke. You really don't have to buy me lunch, Erin. It's fine." 

"I really don't mind. Honestly, it's alright. Unless you really don't want me to and I can take you home now. I'll do what you want," Erin said, her hand moving to rest on the gearshift. She was going to reach out to her with a comforting touch but stopped short, deciding it wasn’t the best idea just yet.

Holtzmann sat quietly for a moment, her stomach rumbling again to ruin the silence. "I, um.. I feel kinda bad. But we can go if you want."

"Holtzmann, it's up to you. I don't want to force you and make you uncomfortable, but I really don't mind," she said, turning in her seat to face her more. 

"'M hungry but I don't wanna drain you of all your money.." she mumbled, looking back at the cafe. "Do you eat McDonald’s? Have you ever touched that in your life?"

"I'm sure I could find something there. I’ve only had the food there a few times, and I'm not the biggest fan of fast food, but I can do it today,” Erin said in response. "And if this insemination does take, which I really hope it will, if you ever need anything, please just text me. I know you have your own life but I would like to be around some to watch my baby grow."

She nodded and smiled, relaxing in her seat. Good. A place where she could be welcome and she could  _ afford _ . "Yeah, of course. Of course. We'll hang out all the time. Be best friends for.. How many months is it? Nine?  Oh, god, nine months?"

As she pulled out of her parking spot, Erin chanced a few glances over at Holtz but kept her eyes on the road for the most part. Honestly, she wasn't sure where the closest McDonald’s even was, she was kind of hoping one would just pop up eventually. "Yes, nine months. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. It just depends on when the baby wants to come out."

"Oh, there's one right there if you take a left. Close to my apartment," Holtz said quickly, pointing towards the left. "Wait… It can, like.. Decide?" she asked, eyes widening in surprise, "That's kind of a dick move. I act like a car for this thing for nine months and then it just decides when to make its entrance?"

"Thank you." Erin nodded and took the left, smiling when she saw the sign ahead of them. "Well, more like an incubator, I guess. When the body decides it's time, the baby will make its entrance. Would you want a natural birth or one with an epidural?"

"Epidural is the one with the drugs, right? Whichever one has drugs. Because I've heard that it hurts and while I’m one for pain and all, I’m not big on  _ that  _ kind of pain."

Pulling over to the drive-thru, Erin rolled her window down, looking over at the blonde. "You can just.. Shout your order over so I don't get anything wrong."

To be fair, that was a bad idea on Erin’s part as the engineer took it upon herself to practically climb onto the other woman’s lap to shout her order through the microphone. Real smooth. 

Erin’s eyes widened as she let her hands rest on the steering wheel while Holtz almost climbed over her to say her order. She ended up ordering a salad for herself, hoping it would be decent. She then began the somewhat slow progress through the drive-thru. 

Settling back into her seat, she looked over at the other woman, smiling nonchalantly. "Are you going to be one of those people who wants to eat the placenta or whatever?"

"God no. That's disgusting. I'm sure it has great health benefits and all, but no. Not for me."

Letting out a breath of relief, Holtz nodded, "Okay, good. I mean, I support it, but that would also be coming  _ out _ of me.."

She shrugged a shoulder, pulling up to the window to pay before passing Holtz's bag over to her and setting her salad on her lap. "I wouldn't eat it if it came out of  _ me _ . I don't even want to think about that.." She made a face and shook her head, trying to focus on driving again. 

The engineer took the bag gratefully, opening it to almost savagely pull out the contents, stuffing several nuggets into her mouth at once. Pouring barbecue sauce into her already full mouth, she let out an almost sexual moan as she chewed. Oh god. McDonald’s never tasted so good.  "Yeah, it's gross," she said around her mouthful. "Thanks, by the way."

The redhead looked over at Holtz, eyes widening as she watched her. How could someone eat so much in such a short amount of time? Besides that, the sound that came out of the other woman’s mouth had Erin blushing again. Was that a noise normal people made when eating? Taking a deep breath, she faced the road and began to drive them towards Holtz's apartment. 

Holtz, of course, had finished all of her food in record time before they had even reached her apartment. She knew she probably wouldn't see McDonald’s again for a while, seeing how uptight Erin seemed to be. Now was her time to take a chance, see if Erin wanted to spend more time with her, just for a little bit. "Hey, do you wanna come in and meet my kids?"

As she put the car in park, she looked over at the blonde. It took her a moment to remember that these were not real kids that she was talking about. "Of course, I'd love to."

At that, Holtz beamed, pointing to the outside of her building excitedly. "C'mon, it's time for them to be fed anyways. And they probably missed me," she said, opening the door to hop out, already running for the steps. Of course, she loved her two children. She had found them out in a nearby alley a few weeks ago, bringing the two of them back in her pants pockets.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Erin said as she got out of the car, locking it as she followed Holtz. "What exactly are your kids?" 

Practically bouncing up to the door, she pushed it open to run up the stairs of the building. "You'll see! They're cute!" she said, nearly slamming into her door as she shoved her hand into her pocket to find her key. As soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, two kittens swarmed around her ankles, meowing rather loudly.

Holtzmann’s apartment, by no surprise, was incredibly barren and very dark, minus the few inventions around and the kittens' food bowls. Someone may even assume that it was being occupied by a squatter if they weren’t aware that she was the tenant. Though she seemed unfazed by the fact that her apartment looked this bad. It didn't seem to bother her. She slept on a mattress on the floor in the other room and that was fine; it was all she needed. 

Erin took a moment to look around, eyes widening at how little was in the apartment. Honestly, she had figured Holtz was a surrogate for the money. A small part of her hoped that once the first check went through, she'd be able to get herself a few things to make the apartment homier. 

Bending down, the blonde scooped one kitten into her arms, pressing several kisses to its head. "This is Biz. And the other one is Floop.” She moved to set Biz in Erin's arms, now picking up Floop with a smile. 

"Biz and Floop?" she repeated, nodding slowly. Interesting names. Erin was pretty stiff as Biz was placed in her arms, not really sure what to do with him. Would it be weird to hold the cat like a baby? Yes. But was it good practice? Maybe. She shifted the kitten in her arms, smiling softly. "Have you got them their shots?"

Holtz smiled as she watched the other woman with her kitten, letting Floop climb onto her shoulder and settle there. "Uh.. Sort of."

"Sort of? How is it sort of?" she asked, looking up at her and arching a brow. After a few moments, Biz wanted to follow in the footsteps of Floop and wiggled until he was on Erin's shoulder.

"The ones I could afford," she said, almost shrugging but stopping herself. "We're not all youuuu, Dr. Gilbert."

"Oh," she said with a small nod. "Yes, sorry for bringing that up.. And you can just call me Erin." She hated that money kept coming up because she didn't want to make things awkward. She should just keep her mouth shut.

"'S alright. I think we both know why I'm doing this," she answered, leaning forward to press a kiss to Biz's nose. "Don't worry about the money thing. It'll all be cool soon. You get a baby, I get a few checks."

The redhead’s body froze up as Holtz leaned in to kiss Biz. She never thought their faces would get that close and she wasn’t sure how to react. She was kind of pretty this close. 

Holtz settled back, reaching up to scratch behind Floop’s ears instead. She hummed, rocking back on her heels. "You excited?"

"I am  _ so _ excited and we aren't even sure if it worked yet. Just the thought of it being possible has me vibrating with excitement. And once we know for sure, I'll be beyond happy.."

"You're gonna be a good mom," she said after a few moments, watching Erin play with the kitten.

Erin bit her lip and smiled a little, looking up at the other woman. "Thank you. I really hope I will be."

Holtz nodded, "You'll be fine. Call it instinct or something."

After a few moments, Biz wiggled around enough to make it seem like he wanted to get down, so Erin bent to set him on the floor before straightening again. "It just.. Makes me a little nervous. I don't want to mess up somehow."

The blonde shook her head at that, moving to pat her on the shoulder. "Hey. Don't worry. I just met you and all, but I'm kind of doing a big thing for you, so we can figure this all out together." 

The physicist nodded again and let out a breath. That definitely did help her some. "Yeah, we can. Thank you, that does help. I don't know if I can ever thank you enough for this."

"It's alright. And I promise in two weeks I'll call you right after I piss."

Erin watched the two kittens roam the floor for a moment before making eye contact with Holtzmann. Wow, she had nice eyes.. "Please wash your hands before you call. I'd love a call as soon as you know, though. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

She nodded eagerly, offering her a thumbs up and a grin. "I swear. Two weeks. Bright and early. You'll be the first to know."

"Thank you, Holtzmann,” she responded with a smile. She didn’t want to make the engineer uncomfortable, so she wasn’t sure what to do next. She didn't know if hugging her would be too far, so she just stayed where she was, standing a little awkwardly.

After another moment, Holtz leaned forward, giving her a quick side hug, followed by a pat on the back. "Um.. Thanks for the food."

Erin hugged her back quickly before nodding and taking a step back. That wasn’t the best hug, but it was a start, right? They  _ were _ practically strangers still. "Of course. So, uh.. I'll hear from you in two weeks. Let me know if you need anything before that."

She cleared her throat, moving to stuff her hands in her pockets. "Uh-huh. Two weeks to the day. Promise," she said, holding out her pinky finger.

She smiled and linked her pinky finger with Holtz's, giving it a gentle squeeze before dropping her hand back to her side. "Thank you for letting me meet your kids. Have a good night, Holtz."


	3. Party Like It's 2001

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holtzmann takes her first pregnancy test. Erin learns to cut loose. Cheesesteaks come into play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah this is shit and lowkey we kind of forgot we were writing this story??? thats what u get when u co-author with ur gf who is equally as forgetful. gonna try to update soon though if anyone is still into this because we are VERY far ahead in our ideas.

‘Alright, Holtz. You got this. Your uterus can do this. You got the test, and you got your phone.’ She might as well pass the time doing something more entertaining. 

Pulling out her phone, she immediately hit the FaceTime button for Erin, tossing the test onto the sink counter for the time being. "That way she can see it real time. Right?" the blonde said, speaking to no one in particular as she stared at herself on the screen.

Erin looked over when her phone rang, about to hit ignore before she saw who was calling. Gasping, she quickly answered, a grin on her face. "Holtzmann! Did you take the test?”

Holtz smiled when she saw Erin’s face appear on her screen, moving to hop up and sit on her bathroom counter. "Uh, yeah. Just waiting for the results now," she said, swinging her legs. Why was she so nervous about this? And why did having Erin on FaceTime with her make her feel less nervous? Well… Those were thoughts to deal with for another day.

The physicist held her phone in front of her moving to sit back at her desk as they waited for the results. Her heart was racing with both excitement and nervousness. She wasn’t sure what she would do if the results were negative. Sure they could try again, if Holtz was up for it, but she had received negatives so many times already. She was staring at the screen of her phone, waiting for any reaction on the engineer’s face. This was it. “I’m so excited. And nervous. But mostly excited,” she said quickly, a large grin soon appearing on her face. 

"Another minute. Um.. So.. How's work?" Holtz asked awkwardly, trying to make small talk. Soon enough, Biz had managed to climb onto her shoulder and into the frame, meowing quietly.

Nodding, Erin shrugged a shoulder. "It's alright. One of my students turned in a terrible excuse for their homework. Other than that, nothing exciting is happening here. How has your day been?"

She snorted, reaching up to give Biz a scratch. "Oh, yeah? Sounds kind of like me at that age. And for the record, my day has been kind of on edge, you know? I bet yours has too." Reaching over, she picked up the test, fingering the plastic gently. "Uh.. I think it's done?"

“A little on edge, yeah,” she admit, leaning forward as Holtz picked the test up, trying to see it on the camera. "What does it say?"

The engineer held the test up to the camera, squinting behind it, "What does two pink lines mean? I didn't read the package."

Erin watched Holtz, eyes wide when she saw the test on the screen. "Oh my god.. You're pregnant! It worked!" she shouted before covering her mouth, hoping no one heard through her office door. "I'm going to be a mother!"

Holtz’s own eyes went wide as she looked at the screen before looking back at the test. Oh my god. Shit. She was  _ actually _ pregnant. Somewhere in the back of her mind, despite how great the money was, she had pictured it just... Not working. But, now it was an  _ actual  _ thing.  "I... --  _ You're _ going to be a mom!" She let out a whoop of excitement, fist already reaching to punch the air. "Woo! Yeah, baby!"

Erin couldn’t help but wipe at her eyes, still giddy from the whole thing. "Oh my god! This actually happened! It worked! Oh my gosh, can I take you out tonight to celebrate? We can get dinner or something. Anywhere you want. I'm just -- Aah! I’m so happy!"

"Yeah, of course we'll celebrate. We'll party the night away!" she said, wiggling around on her counter for emphasis. "Really part-aaaayy."

"Wonderful! I can stop by after work and get you? We can go anywhere tonight! Just celebrate and have fun. Oh my gosh! This is so amazing!"

Holtzmann gave her a thumbs up and flashed her a big grin, more excited for the night rather than the fact that she was actually pregnant. That was a minor detail. "See you tonight!" 

"See you!"

* * *

Once she was done with work, Erin went home to change from the uncomfortable work clothes to something a little more casual. Tweed suits only got so far beyond academia. Her hair was tied up and her makeup was touched up before she left to go get Holtz.

She went up to the blonde's door after arriving, knocking a few times.

After a few moments, she was face-to-face with the engineer, who was using her foot to keep her kittens back from the door. "Hey! Ready for a night on the town?"

To be quite honest, Erin had to fight the urge to pull her into a hug. “Yes, I'm so ready! Tonight is going to be great."

Holtz gave the cats a nudge with her foot, slipping back out of the door, "Bye babies! Mama's going out for a little bit," she called, waving as she shut the door tight. “You ready to let loose?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not really one to let loose too much, but I can definitely try. Did you have any place in mind to go?" she asked, tilting her head. 

"Ooh, yeah.." she said, a large grin coming to her face. "I know a great place.  Hope you're into dancing." At that, Holtz had grabbed her wrist, tugging the other woman down the stairs.

Oh god. Dancing? "Uhh.. Dancing isn't my best skill. I'll probably just look like an idiot if I try to," she murmured, though allowed herself to be pulled down the stairs.

"We'll get a few drinks in you first," she called over her shoulder, dragging her out the door. Of course, the place she had been talking about was, in fact, a club. A gay club. A fact that Holtz seemed very excited about as she pulled Erin inside and right to the bar.

Erin never went to clubs and never drank more than a glass of wine when she was out in public. And there was something different about this club than the any other one she had gone to in her life. Not that she had really been in many to begin with.. Oh god, she was at a gay club, for the first time in her life, with her newly-pregnant surrogate. To be honest, she had originally thought they would get something like dinner downtown...

Saddling up to the bar, Holtz leaned against it, nodding to the bartender behind the counter. "Hey, Bernice. Gin and tonic for the lovely lady over here and... Water for me.." she mumbled the last part, looking slightly miffed by the fact she wasn't allowed to have alcohol.

As her drink was being made, the redhead slowly spun around, fully taking in the layout of the club. It was nice; the decor was simple, yet useful. It was clean, a lot cleaner than most clubs. Plus most of the women there were quite nice to look at.. Her attention was brought back to the bartender when her drink was passed over. She smiled a simple thanks before returning her attention to the engineer. "So.. Do you come here often?   
  


Holtz took her bottle of water, taking a sip. "Well.. Often enough. It's a good place. I think you'll like it. Maybe you'll even get laid," she said, raising her eyebrows as she gave her a nudge.

Erin couldn’t hide the fact that her cheeks had heated up at that thought. "Oh god, no. I'm not even thinking about that. I'm not a one night stand person, so I doubt that will happen tonight."

Clicking her tongue, Holtz shrugged her shoulders, "Suit yourself. Just a suggestion. What we really came to do was dance," she said, taking Erin's wrist again, pulling her out to the dance floor with a manic grin, "C'mon!"

"I'm just going to look like an idiot!" the physicist yelled over the music but allowed herself to be moved. Biting her lip, she just stood in place and swayed, watching the blonde. "I don't think I'm as.. Out there as you are."

She raised her eyebrow as she watched the other woman stand there awkwardly. She kind of thought she resembled a tree a little bit. "Here, just.. Like, grind on me. You'll fit in if you do that."

Erin nodded slowly before gulping down her drink, setting the cup on a nearby table. "I've seen it done but.. Uh, how exactly does one grind on someone? Isn’t that a little… Dirty?”

Holtz moved to stand back with her arms spread out to her sides, "Now you grind your ass on my junk."

“Holtzmann! I am  _ not _ doing that. No way,” she said, shaking her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Aw, what? I thought you’d be all for it. Most people don’t mind taking a lil’ ride on the H-train,” the blonde said with a wink. “I think you gotta loosen up a little. -- Here, come do this shot!" she called, grabbing a shot off a nearby tray to hand it to her.

"Where did this even come from? Did it belong to someone?" Erin asked before hesitantly taking the shot. Her face scrunched up after she swallowed, shaking her head. "Ugh. Tequila."

The other woman shrugged her shoulders, offering a grin as she watched her take the shot. It was cool to see her actually do it. "Tequila? Damn. I'm jealous," she said, shaking her head.

"Don't be, it was disgusting." She looked down at the empty shot glass, biting her lip; she was already beginning to feel warm from the first drink and the shot. This probably wasn't going to end well.

"And just like that, you're suddenly going to get a lot more fun.”

"Let's hope so," she murmured, setting the empty glass to the side after another moment. She began to allow her body to move a little more freely, her movements still awkward, but less jerky. Erin had to admit, she was kind of a lightweight. It also didn't help that she had nothing to eat since lunch. The two drinks had loosened her up quite a bit and she took a step away from Holtzmann to start dancing on her own. God, she hoped she wouldn't remember this.

Holtz couldn’t help but let out a laugh, clapping her hands as she watched Erin, "Yes!  _ Yes _ !" she shouted, starting to fall back into the rhythm, incorporating her whole body into it. Dancing across from Erin, she thrust her hips forward with the beat, letting out a laugh as she saw her dancing. "I told you!"

"I should have listened sooner!" she replied with a laugh, moving over to bump her hip against Holtz's before dancing around her again. 

Holtz chuckled, moving to give the other a gentle bump back. “You having fun yet?”

"Soooo much!" she laughed, moving to dance closer to Holtzmann. "Are you having fun? I know the whole pregnancy thing is probably limiting the amount of fun, but..?” she trailed off, offering a shrug. 

The blonde laughed a bit, mirroring the other woman’s shrug. To be quite honest, she’d kind of put the idea out of her head much earlier on. "Not too bad. Could be worse!”

"It’s so amazing that you’re doing this for me! You're the best!" Erin called over the music, realizing now that the drinks were already hitting her. She really was a lightweight. 

Holtz smiled, "Yeah, well, you're kind of nice for paying me for doing this!"

"You're having my baby. I'd do just about anything for you right now," she admit, now taking to dancing even closer to the other woman to hear her better.

"Like what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, now adding a twirl into the mix of her dance routine for extra flare.

"Anything! You're bringing a life into the world. You deserve anything." She grinned at the twirl, clapping happily.

"Damn, is that how people think nowadays? If that's the case, I should be working for CERN after this is over!" 

"I think you would be amazing at CERN," she called with a smile.

"You think so?" she asked, taking a few steps backwards towards the bar. It was getting too hard to yell over the music. At least near the bar they could breathe and talk. She really hadn’t anticipated this happening.

"I do think so," Erin replied, quickly following Holtzmann as she walked. Once she could lean against the counter, she took in a deep breath, looking down at the younger woman, "You'd be really great there."

She leaned up against the counter, resting her chin in her palm with a dreamy smile, "I'd love to get there one day. Haven't had any home-runs lately and most of the stuff I usually work with I can’t touch for, ya know, nine months."

"I'm sure you’ll get there. And I appreciate you staying away from anything harmful for a while. What type of engineering do you specialize in?"

"Nuclear engineering. I kind of have to stay away from that stuff. Well, unless you want a radioactive baby. Actually-”

"Holtzmann, I would appreciate it if my baby was not radioactive," Erin said seriously before relinquishing and cracking a small smile. “But, for the record, that is pretty impressive.”

Holtz merely shrugged, "What do you teach again?"

"Theoretical participle physics."

The blonde made an odd noise at that, which somewhat scared Erin. "I specialize in experimental particle physics!" she said excitedly. “Also, I wanna be the first to say that you're pretty hot for a physicist."

Her cheeks heated up as she bit her lip. "Well, thank you. I didn't know most physicists weren't hot."

"Weeeeeelllll…. Hot, but not as hot as you," she said, smirking.

"I see," she said with a nod before fanning her face. "It's the drinks. Definitely the drinks. They're finally getting to me."

"You wanna leave? Don't need you to be passing out on me or anything. That would suck. You'd probably yell at me for carrying you."

"I wouldn't be able to yell at you if I was passed out. I think I just need some food.. Haven't eaten in a few hours. Oh! I know a great food truck not too far from her. Do you like cheesesteaks?"

"God,  _ yes _ ," Holtz said with a groan, pushing herself off of the bar to head for the door. "Come on. I'm  _ starving _ ." She held the door open for her, waving her out with a flourish.

“Thank you,” she said, walking out, blinking slightly as her eyes adjusted to the change in lighting. 

“So how far is this thing exactly?” Holtzmann asked, listening to her stomach rumble. She hadn’t really had an actual proper meal in a while. Food was kind of expensive when you didn’t have a solid job. 

“Just up the road. I can actually see it from here. I’m pretty sure it basically never leaves that spot.”

Holtz stood on her toes, squinting behind the yellow lenses of her glasses, “Is that it?” she asked, pointing to a truck a little ways away on the end of the block.

Erin frowned slightly at Holtz’s somewhat childish mannerisms. She had kind of forgotten how much younger the woman was compared to herself. "Yes, it is. -- Oh jeez, I can smell it from here. Come on.”

The blonde quickened her pace, nearly passing Erin in her urgency to get to the truck. "God, I don't think I've ever smelled something so good."

When they had reached the truck, Erin quickly chose what looked best before turning to Holtz. Holtz stood with her eyes wide, "Make that two! Extra everything. I'm starving. Oh man, does this give me a free pass to eat more?"

Erin paid before nodding her head, shrugging slightly. "I suppose so. Remember, you’re eating for two now. But there could be morning sickness in the first trimester."

"Morning.. What..? Like, a cold in the morning or something?" she asked, standing on her toes to try to see the food cooking in the truck.

"Morning sickness. You're probably going to throw up. A lot. Every day. For the first couple weeks, actually. It depends on the person, according to what I’ve read," Erin said, not seeming to be fazed by any of it. After a few more moments, she heard the rustle of tin foil, and realized that her sandwich was being handed to her. With a smile of thanks, she took it, immediately unwrapping it to take a bite. 

All the while, Holtz’s face had fallen as she listened to her. How did the lady on TV have nineteen of these things? One sounded bad enough. "That's fucked up.. I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore..." she mumbled before she saw her own sandwich appear. She followed Erin’s lead, unwrapping it to take a large bite out of it with a groan. "Oh, god.."

"That's pregnancy for you," she said with a shrug, “No backing out now. You’re in this for the long-run.”

"Why did I do this again?" she asked around her mouthful, moaning again. "God, this is so good. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything this good.”

“Well, from what I’ve gathered, for the money. But it’s still a nice thing to do for someone.” After that, Erin was content to eat in silence, throwing the wrapper away when she was done. Some stuff just tasted better after a few drinks.

Stuffing the rest of her sandwich in her mouth, Holtz tossed her wrapper after Erin's. Swallowing, she let out a loud burp, giving a thumbs up. “Good pick there, Erin. Though probably better if you're drunk, huh?" she asked, holding her arm out for her.

Erin took her arm, resting against her a little. "I don't know. I think I like it more sober. I can appreciate the taste better."

"Food always tastes better when you're drunk. It's a fact." She nodded, starting to walk along with her. "So, uh.. I guess I'll walk you home, then?"

"That would be nice of you. Thank you. I know you couldn’t drink tonight, but did you still have a good time?"

Holtz smiled softly, giving her a little nudge as they walked, "Yeah, it was pretty fun. More fun watching you dance, though.”

"I haven't danced like that in such a long time," she grinned, looking over at her. “It was nice to feel that free again.”

"Really? We should do it more often then. I think you need it,” the engineer suggested, frowning when she saw the other woman's apartment building come into view. Damn it. 

"Maybe. I wouldn’t mind so much if it was with you," she admit with a smile. "It really was fun, Holtz. I'm glad we went out. Thank you for coming out with me," she said, moving to pull her into a hug. "And thank you for everything." She pulled back, staying quite close for a moment before stepping back. "Let me know when you get home safe, alright?"

Holtz nodded, moving to return the hug, patting her back. Pulling away, she bit her lip, moving to stuff her hands in her pockets, not sure what else to do. "Yeah, of course.”

"If you need anything, or have any questions, please feel free to call me or text me. I want to be involved in this too," Erin said with a smile, clasping her hands in front of her. "Have a good night, Holtzmann."

**Author's Note:**

> these authors loooove comments. leave a comment. it only encourages us more


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